It's another one off the "guess my #1" list.
47. With A Little Help From My Friends (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)
Beatles version:
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As much as I love Ringo, and I even like his singing, we can probably all agree that he doesn't have the greatest voice. This song was written specifically for him and therefore is perfect for his limited range, with one exception: that last note, far out of Ringo's range. The vocal was recorded at the end of a long session, and after finishing the backing tracks, Ringo started up the stairs to leave. Paul called out to him that they should do the vocals first, and unfortunately for Ringo, who said he was "knackered," the rest of the band agreed. Knowing how nervous Ringo was about the vocal, the other three, In a sweet show of friendship, gathered round him just behind the microphone, (silently) cheering him on. But that last note was a challenge, and the other Beatles encouraged him through several takes, with George gently telling him he could do it and John giving more blunt advice to "just throw your head back and let 'er rip!" After a few tries, Ringo hit it, to much cheering and then a celebratory scotch-and-Coke toast.
Ringo sings this so sweetly, and the song gently glides along with great pleasantness. I love the call-and-response and as-always beautiful harmonies - especially for some reason love the lines, "
What do you see when you turn out the light; I can't tell you but I know it's mine." I don't know what those lines mean, though I've read Paul say it might have been about self-love, but maybe that open interpretation is why I like the lines. The most essential, superb part of the song for me, though, is Paul's bass line, which is as smoothly melodic and fluid as any he recorded with the Beatles. This is a song with a simple structure but elevated to another level for me by its sweetness...and that bass line.
Badfinger alert! The song was initially titled "Bad Finger Boogie," which is the source of the band's name after changing it from The Iveys.
Fun fact: originally the second line was "would you stand up and throw tomatoes at me" instead of "walk out on me." In a rare instance of assertiveness, Ringo put his foot down on this, worried that people would actually throw tomatoes on stage at that line, much as they had thrown jelly beans and other items in earlier shows.
Mr. krista: "It is so much better than that…
[five-minute discussion of how much we hate the Cocker version and how it’s about selfishness] I really like the song so much more than that. He made a really great song suck."
Suggested cover: Oh hell no I'm not posting that one. I'd rather listen to
John Belushi's parody.